Dear Gyala,
I trust this letter finds you as uneasy as you deserve to be. Rest assured, the tremors of dread you may now feel are entirely warranted. You are not a fool, and that is why you were chosen for this delicate matter. But even intelligence such as yours does not exempt you from the consequences of forgetting who holds the strings to your life.
You know as well as I do that Eilis, the satyr, must be brought to me- alive and unharmed. You’ve heard the whispers, haven’t you? Tales of the satyr’s talents, his peculiar gift that could shift the balance of power in ways most would not dare to imagine. The fools around us see Eilis as nothing more than a charming misfit prostitute with pipes in hand. But we know better. Those "pipes" have sung secrets older than time and silenced voices wiser than the stars.
You might be wondering why you’ve been chosen for this task. After all, Gyala, your reputation suggests someone who prefers subtler engagements, skimming profit from whispers rather than tangling yourself in the heat of abduction. Frankly, it was not my decision, but the holy god Aionexus. But I suppose your skills are precisely why you’ve come to his attention. And let us not forget the other reason you cannot refuse me.
Do you remember our shared acquaintance, Lady Triselle? Oh, I suspect you’d rather forget her, wouldn’t you? Her laughter, her clever hands, her disappearance- tragedy, truly. But not a tragedy without its threads. I happen to know how those threads might weave back to you, should anyone care to examine them closely. To be blunt, Gyala, I know the truth about what happened that night by the Ember Vale. That truth is currently safe in my keeping, locked away like a rare coin I’ve no use for. But coins, like secrets, are worth nothing unless they’re exchanged.
If you refuse me, or fail me, I will make that exchange. I will place the truth where it will sting most. Those who adored Lady Triselle will demand answers, and you, my dear Gyala, will be required to give them. Do you imagine they’ll spare you? No, Gyala, they’ll tear your life apart as they seek vengeance, and I’ll have the satisfaction of watching from the shadows.
I do not believe you are foolish enough to test me. The task is simple: you will deliver Eilis into my hands. You know how to work without attracting attention, to whisper commands that echo into deeds without leaving a trace. Use those skills. I care not for your methods. Whether through honeyed words or heavy fists, I expect him in my possession by the crescent moon’s rise.
Do not think to outwit me. My reach extends further than you realize, and my patience is far shorter than you might hope. Fail me, and the truth about Triselle will not be the only whisper I set loose. I know more about you than you think—your dealings, your debts, your sins. Do not force me to reveal them.
I eagerly await word of your success, Gyala. Do not keep me waiting. You know what is at stake.
With all the sincerity a man like me can muster,
Mor Luthien
Comments